More than 20 owners in Bartlett found that someone burglarized, stole or damaged their vehicles in a rash of driveway and parking lot crimes last week. Some got off lightly with their car interiors left in disarray. Others were left staring at an empty driveway, wondering where their ride went.
Almost every victim admitted leaving the vehicle unlocked — and some also left the keys in the vehicle.
The Bartlett Police Department handled those and other incidents for the period of Oct. 23-30.
Editor’s note: This report represents the most notable incidents provided by BPD for the reporting period and does not necessarily reflect all police activity. All suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and values are estimated for stolen/damaged items. These are brief summaries of detailed BPD reports. Incidents are listed in order of the dates they were reported.
Oct. 23
Sungate Drive (attempted residential burglary)
A man found a pried-open screen on his home’s rear southwest window, with the blinds up, revealing electronics in the room. The window was undisturbed when he left for work. No items were removed.
St. Elmo Road (vandalism)
A witness spotted several known suspects on a livestreamed Snapchat video as they vandalized vehicles in the parking lot of Easthill Baptist Church (7050 St. Elmo Road). The suspects fled before officers arrived, but an investigation led to their arrest.
Peyton Randolph (theft)
A woman said someone stole an iPad Mini from her vehicle between 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.
Bartlett View Lane (vandalism)
A woman returned from work to find her front window broken and a rock in the living room. She said the vandalism happened between about 3:10 p.m. and 10:50 p.m.
Oct. 24
Pamela Ann Drive (auto burglary in progress)
Officers didn’t find suspects when they arrived at the scene, but an unlocked vehicle was the apparent target. The owner said nothing seemed stolen.
Fisk Road (theft)
Someone stole a woman’s bicycle from her carport between 7 p.m. Oct. 23 and 7 a.m. the next morning. It’s a black-and-blue Diamondback Sorrento with a black-and-blue seat.
Memphis Arlington Road (theft from building)
A man at Rainbow Health and Rehab reported that someone stole $50 from his wallet, which was in the top drawer of his nightstand. He said it was stolen between about 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Bristol Park Drive (residential burglary)
A woman said someone broke into her apartment and stole multiple items between 8:30 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. Her son found the broken door frame and the forced-open door when he returned home.
Stage Road (theft from building)
A group of three women and four children were creating a disturbance at Andy B’s ( 6276 Stage Road), and they became upset over a refund when asked to leave. The three adults refused to return the rented bowling shoes valued at $20 per pair. They were escorted out.
Oct. 25
Fletcher Ridge Lane (auto burglary)
Someone stole two mini Nintendo gaming consoles and two Sony headphones from a woman’s unlocked vehicle. It happened between 7 p.m. Oct. 24 and 6:45 a.m. Oct. 25.
U.S. 64 (theft)
A customer at Walmart Super Center (8400 U.S. 64) said someone stole her purse out of her shopping basket at the store. Store video showed a male suspect take her purse, sticking it under his shirt, while she was shopping in the paint aisle. Then he turned down the sporting goods aisle and exited without the purse. The officer and victim found her purse on that aisle, but her cell phone and wallet were missing. The suspect was a male wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and dark pants.
Kate Bond (two attempted car burglaries)
Someone damaged a woman’s vehicle while trying to burglarize it, she reported on Oct. 25. The responding officer saw damage to the window frames on the front and rear driver’s side doors, as if someone had tried to use a screwdriver and small pry bar to gain entry. It happened between about 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
A second victim at the scene also reported the same type of attempted burglary. His driver’s side door had minor damage to the weather stripping.
Stage Hills Boulevard (auto burglary)
Someone stole a man’s car key after he left it in the driver’s side door between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The man also said an old black wallet with $10 cash was also missing, and his vehicle’s interior was in disarray.
Germantown Parkway (auto burglary)
Someone damaged and burglarized a woman’s vehicle while it was parked at her workplace, the Hampton Inn (2935 Germantown Parkway). The front passenger window was broken and paneling ripped off. The driver’s side door lock also showed tampering, the inside of the vehicle was ransacked and the trunk was popped open.
Items stolen included a Boss audio radio/DVD player two subwoofers/amplifiers. The incident happened between 8:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m.
Bartlett Gap (auto burglary)
A man said someone took an Apple iPhone and a 50-round box of 9mm ammunition from his unlocked vehicle around 5 a.m.
At the scene, a second victim said someone rummaged through his vehicle but nothing was missing. He had surveillance video of a young male driving up in a dark four-door Cadillac.
The officer also responded to Wolf Trace for a third auto burglary. This victim said someone took his Apple iPad from his unlocked vehicle overnight.
Memphis Arlington Road (theft from building)
A man said someone took $20 from his wallet between the night of Oct. 22 and 4 p.m. Oct. 24. He keeps his wallet on his nightstand and does not know who took the money.
Oct. 26
Bruton Parish Drive (auto burglary)
Someone stole a man’s handgun from his vehicle between 11 p.m. Oct. 25 and 5 a.m. Oct. 26. He was unsure if he locked his vehicle. The responding officer didn’t see any damage to the locks.
Tooley Cove (motor vehicle theft)
A man said someone stole his 2011 Ford F-150 from his driveway between 4:20 a.m. and 6 a.m. The truck is brown on top and gold on the bottom and is valued at $18,000. There was a 9mm handgun in his center console and a customized AR-15 in his backseat. He left the truck unlocked with an ignition key inside it.
Hillman Way (theft complaint)
Someone stole a man’s bike from his front yard between 10 p.m. Oct. 25 and 7 a.m. Oct. 26. It was parked near the front door near another bike.
Kirby Whitten Parkway (vandalism)
A man who confronted another customer in the parking lot of Stevi B’s Pizza Buffet (2990 Kirby Whitten Road) around 8 p.m. returned about 35 minutes later to find his passenger side door keyed.
It began when a maroon sedan pulled in next to his vehicle. The driver, a woman in teal scrubs and a jacket, opened her door abruptly. The man’s passenger quickly shut her door to keep it from being struck. When the man spoke to the other driver about possibly damaging his vehicle, she said, “I came close, but I didn’t.”
Oct. 28
Hyman Drive (motor vehicle theft)
A couple reported that someone stole their Honda Accord but failed to take their Toyota Prius. They last saw the vehicles, both unlocked with keys inside, in the driveway around 5 p.m. Oct. 27.
Around 5:30 a.m. the next morning, the Accord was gone, and they found the Prius at the end of their driveway, halfway into the street. One of the victims said the Prius is complicated to start.
Hyman Drive (auto burglary)
While investigating other overnight auto burglaries in the area, an officer spotted an open center console in another unlocked vehicle. The owner checked and said a wallet was taken.
Hyman Drive area (auto burglary)
Another complainant flagged down the officer responding to several other area auto burglaries. He said someone had rummaged through his unlocked vehicle in the driveway.
Windersville Drive (auto burglary)
An officer on patrol just before 7 a.m. found several items lying in the street and located the owner. The man said the items were for a youth honor group, and he had left them in a box in his unlocked vehicle.
Sandywood Lane (auto burglary)
A man who left his vehicle unlocked around 6 p.m. Oct. 27 returned around 11:30 a.m. the next day to find his center console was open. Several items were missing.
Hyman Drive area (auto burglary)
Around 8 a.m., an officer investigating several overnight auto burglaries nearby found a resident’s green Accura with signs of a burglary. The center console was raised and papers were strewn about the interior. The owner said she left it unlocked but there was nothing of value inside.
Haynes Road (theft from a motor vehicle)
Another owner who left a vehicle unlocked found its glove compartment open and its contents laid out on the front passenger seat.
Sandywood Lane (auto burglary)
A woman reported that someone burglarized her her vehicle overnight and some contents were missing. She said her dog barked aggressively at the front windows between 2:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. but she didn’t look outside.
Windersville Drive (auto burglary)
A passing motorist flagged down an officer who was investigating an auto burglary, saying someone rummaged through his unlocked vehicle overnight too.
Haynes Road (auto burglary)
A man who left a key in his vehicle said someone tried to steal his 2007 gold Chevy Impala overnight. The suspect tried to back the vehicle between another truck and a neighbor’s house but got stuck. The impact damaged the Impala’s front passenger side fender.
Haynes Road (theft from motor vehicle)
A man reported that someone entered his unlocked vehicle in his carport overnight, but he didn’t think anything was stolen.
Jill’s Creek Drive (theft from motor vehicle)
A man reported that someone rummaged through three unlocked vehicles at his home and took an older model iPod from one. He said the incident happened between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Oct. 29
Trail Creek Lane (theft of vehicle parts/accessories)
A victim reported that someone had stolen his vehicle’s license plate, but he didn’t know when or where it happened.
